The present invention relates to an image formation apparatus, and in particular, to an image forming apparatus having a perfect printing paper line for carrying a sheet of paper having gone through a broadsheet printing to a printing section for the second time in order to have a reverse side of the paper printed, and a sorting device for sorting out the sheets of paper of which printing is finished.
A structure of a conventional image formation apparatus of this type will be shown in FIG. 1. The image formation apparatus comprises a printing unit 30, a paper hopper 31, a perfect printing paper travelling unit 41, and a sorting device 44.
In case of conducting a broadsheet printing, a sheet of paper is carried to the printing unit 30 from the paper hopper through a paper feeding roller 32. When the printing is over, the sheet of paper is discharged along a path A to a stacker 40. In case of sorting, the sheet of paper continues along a path B, and is discharged to the sorting device 44.
In case of conducting a perfect printing, a sheet of paper having gone through a broadsheet printing travels from path A to a path C is turned over within the perfect printing paper travelling unit 41 (path D) to be carried to the printing unit 30 once again by path E and the paper carrier roller 43. As printing is executed over the reverse side, and both sides of the paper are printed, the sheet of paper will be outputted to the stacker 40 or the sorting device 44 as in the case of the broadsheet printing.
For another structure of a conventional image forming apparatus of this type, it is possible to change the position of the sorting device either to a left side or to a right side of the printing unit instead of having it at the upper side of the printing unit as shown in FIG. 1. In this way, it is possible to reduce the height of the whole image formation apparatus.
In the above-mentioned conventional image forming device, the sorting device is provided as a separate unit apart from the paper travelling line for the perfect printing. Therefore, whether it is a type having a paper travelling line for the sorting device and to be mounted on the upper side of the printing unit, or it is a type to be positioned on a side of the printing unit, the size of the apparatus as a while will become extremely large. This will result in requiring a huge set-up space.
It is therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an image forming apparatus which can maintain the whole apparatus as compact as possible even in case when the apparatus is to have both the perfect printing function and a sorting device, due to which the set-up area can be kept small.
In accordance with a first aspect of the preset invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: a perfect printing paper travelling line for carrying a sheet of paper having gone through a broadsheet printing to a printing section for the second time in order to execute a perfect printing on the sheet of paper; a sorting device for sorting the sheets of paper having gone through the broadsheet printing; and a switching gate for drawing in said sheets of paper having gone through the broadsheet printing to said sorting device, the switching gate provided in said perfect printing paper travelling line.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image forming apparatus comprising: a perfect printing paper travelling line for carrying a sheet of paper having gone through a broadsheet printing to a printing section for the second time in order to execute a perfect printing on the sheet of paper; a sorting device for sorting the sheets of paper having gone through the broadsheet printing; and a plurality of switching gates for drawing in said sheets of paper having gone through the broadsheet printing to predetermined trays in said sorting device, the switching gates provided in said perfect printing paper travelling line.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, said switching gate of the image forming apparatus comprises a solenoid and a lever operated by said solenoid.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus further comprises a page order controlling means for firstly printing even numbered pages on one sides of the sheets of paper and then odd numbered pages on the opposite sides of the sheets of paper in case of executing a perfect printing.
In accordance with a fifth aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus further comprises an interface section for receiving printing data from a host device.
In accordance with a sixth aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus further comprises a scanner for reading a manuscript.
In accordance with a seventh aspect of the present invention, the image forming apparatus further comprises a facsimile receiving section for receiving facsimile data from a communication line.